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Thread: F style Ukulele ?

  1. #1
    Registered User BoxCarJoe's Avatar
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    Default F style Ukulele ?

    (Hope I'm posting in the right place)

    I've been messing around with a baritone ukulele (tuned CGDA w/ nylon guitar strings) for about a year now. It's a pleasure to play and sounds very unique.

    Are the any Uke makers who make an F-style?

    If so I'd really like one of those.

    Internet searches have turned up nothing.

  2. #2
    Registered User Charles E.'s Avatar
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    Default Re: F style Ukulele ?

    Steve Sorensen makes something he calls a Fundolin......

    https://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/148895#148895

    After a closer look this appears to be more mandolin then ukulele, not quite what you are looking for.
    Last edited by Charles E.; Feb-26-2020 at 3:41pm.
    Charley

    A bunch of stuff with four strings

  3. #3
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: F style Ukulele ?

    Boat Paddle Ukes might come close. You can just convince him to do a scroll.

    But if you want a carved top one: Chennell Jazzbox. I have a feeling the scroll might add quite a bit of cost to the commission.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    --------

    Ah, I found it... ta-da...! Aila uke made by Hatta

    Aila is a mandolin shaped ukulele "Mandolele". Please playing while drinking whiskey at sunset time.
    Click image for larger version. 

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    Actually this is made in Japan and the cost is almost what a Fundolin would cost. I would go with the Sorenson. I bet, if you preferred, Sorenson would make it with four strings.
    Jim

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    Registered User Charles E.'s Avatar
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    Default Re: F style Ukulele ?

    Charley

    A bunch of stuff with four strings

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  6. #5
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: F style Ukulele ?

    Quote Originally Posted by Charles E. View Post
    Ah, that is the one I was looking for.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Registered User Charles E.'s Avatar
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    Default Re: F style Ukulele ?

    If you go to youtube and type in "mandolele" there are a number of videos.

    This looks interesting and about baritone size...

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I55-wvXDYmo
    Charley

    A bunch of stuff with four strings

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    Registered User BoxCarJoe's Avatar
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    Default Re: F style Ukulele ?

    Some great suggestions. Thank you.

    I'll look them over.

  9. #8
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: F style Ukulele ?

    Quote Originally Posted by Charles E. View Post
    If you go to youtube and type in "mandolele" there are a number of videos.

    This looks interesting and about baritone size...

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I55-wvXDYmo
    That one in the video you link above looks like it might be a tenor. Usually the baritones don't have re-entrant tuning. Just a guess, of course.

    The problem with searching for mandolele is that you do come up with some mandolins tuned like a uke but you also come up with ukes tuned like a mandolin. Oh well...
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  11. #9
    Registered User BoxCarJoe's Avatar
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    Default Re: F style Ukulele ?

    Quote Originally Posted by Charles E. View Post
    This one looks interesting.

    I think he only works through an Ebay store? No web page?

  12. #10
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: F style Ukulele ?

    Quote Originally Posted by BoxCarJoe View Post
    This one looks interesting.

    I think he only works through an Ebay store? No web page?
    He ships out of Taiwan and many of these instruments are made in Vietnam. I think they have improved a lot in quality over the years.
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  13. #11
    Registered User BoxCarJoe's Avatar
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    Default Re: F style Ukulele ?

    I'm in touch with Bruce Wei and he will send me a quote for a baritone F model (custom order).

    But looking at the Tenor specs, it's really got mandola proportions.

    That's what I'm looking for, so we will see.

  14. #12
    Registered User BoxCarJoe's Avatar
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    Default Re: F style Ukulele ?

    Just "pulled the trigger" on a custom (no inlay) F Style Baritone.

    It's more than I wanted to spend but a got a good feeling about this guy.

    Over two months wait so let's see.

  15. #13
    Registered User Rodney Riley's Avatar
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    Default Re: F style Ukulele ?

    [QUOTE=Jim Garber;1758788]Boat Paddle Ukes might come close. You can just convince him to do a scroll.

    The luthier changed his company name from “Boat Paddle Ukelele” to “Hoffman Lutherie” a few years ago. Tried to log in to his site but got a “server cannot be found” message. Did find this on Google https://sites.google.com/site/ukulel.../b/boat-paddle

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    Default Re: F style Ukulele ?

    Quote Originally Posted by BoxCarJoe View Post
    Just "pulled the trigger" on a custom (no inlay) F Style Baritone. It's more than I wanted to spend but a got a good feeling about this guy.
    Over two months wait so let's see.
    Ya gotta let us know what it's like. I've been posting about how sketchy those eBay Vietnamese-made, "super-bling," one-of instruments may be. If they're getting better, I should stop dissing them. It would be a real plus to have a source of decently-made unique instruments, but experience, and all I've read, has made me cautious. Hope it lives up to your expectations!
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    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: F style Ukulele ?

    Quote Originally Posted by allenhopkins View Post
    Ya gotta let us know what it's like. I've been posting about how sketchy those eBay Vietnamese-made, "super-bling," one-of instruments may be. If they're getting better, I should stop dissing them. It would be a real plus to have a source of decently-made unique instruments, but experience, and all I've read, has made me cautious. Hope it lives up to your expectations!
    Here is a recent thread about Bruce Wei ukes from the Ukulele Underground forums. There are a few folks there who like them and some comments about lower quality of the cheaper ukes vs. custom and some setup problems.
    Jim

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  19. #16
    Registered User BoxCarJoe's Avatar
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    Default Re: F style Ukulele ?

    Quote Originally Posted by allenhopkins View Post
    Ya gotta let us know what it's like. I've been posting about how sketchy those eBay Vietnamese-made, "super-bling," one-of instruments may be. If they're getting better, I should stop dissing them. It would be a real plus to have a source of decently-made unique instruments, but experience, and all I've read, has made me cautious. Hope it lives up to your expectations!
    I will.

    He supposed to send me plans for approval soon. If it's worth looking at I'll post them.

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  21. #17
    Registered User BoxCarJoe's Avatar
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    Default Re: F style Ukulele ?

    Bruce Wei sent me this for approval.
    Not much info there other than basic dimensions and woods.
    19" scale is making me happy. My current baritone is 20.5" and just a little uncomfortable for me.
    Now for the wait.

    Click image for larger version. 

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  22. #18
    Registered User BoxCarJoe's Avatar
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    Default Re: F style Ukulele ?

    Still waiting for my F Style Baritone Uke. Almost two months now.

    It's behind schedule, but there is a world wide pandemic going on after all.
    Hard to complain.

    I asked Bruce to send me some progress photos.
    It needs a lot of work by the looks of it.

    Bruce is an easy guy to deal with an there have been no surprises so far.



    Click image for larger version. 

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  24. #19
    Registered User BoxCarJoe's Avatar
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    Default Re: F style Ukulele ?

    Just received these photos
    I'm looking forward to playing this unique instrument.
    When I receive it I'll spend some time with it and give an honest review.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Last edited by BoxCarJoe; Jun-04-2020 at 5:16am. Reason: spelling

  25. #20
    Registered User BoxCarJoe's Avatar
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    Default Re: F style Ukulele ?

    I received my Bruce Wei F Style Baritone yesterday.

    Here are some basic facts:

    It took four months from the OK to getting it in my hands.
    That's a long time IMO.
    But this was the first baritone F style that Bruce has built and he had to retool a bit. A world wide pandemic might also be a factor.
    So maybe four months was a good turnaround.

    The instrument has a lovely solid feel to it.
    It is basically a mandola (CGDA) and the 19" scale is just what I wanted.
    It's nice to look at and I expect to get good comments.

    The tuners are very precise (surprise!). I don't know what they are.

    The ebony fretboard is pretty. The fret work is good.
    The action is high at the 12th fret and looks correct at the nut.
    Not much room at the saddle for adjustment but I'll get on it.

    I want to hold off on describing the sound to make sure I'm judging this correctly.

    In a week or so I'll post a sound clip and have a few comments.

    Thanks for watching this thread so far.

  26. #21
    Registered User BoxCarJoe's Avatar
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    Default Re: F style Ukulele ?

    The Bottom Line

    I’ve spent the last few days putting this instrument through the paces.
    I am both happy and disappointed at the same time. This is an odd instrument.

    I would ordinarily keep this to myself but some interest has been expressed in Bruce Wei as a builder, so here is my critique. (It’s not good)

    The depth of the instrument body (1.5”) and the thickness of the carved top and bottom have completely killed any tone this instrument could have had. The volume is easily ½ the output of any instrument I have ever played. It’s like playing a slab body or an electric instrument unplugged. A softly played guitar would totally overpower this.

    So I have decided to treat it solely as an electric instrument and I am very happy with the amplified tone.
    Really happy. It’s warm and expressive. But it’s totally unsuitable in an acoustic setting. Not what I wanted obviously, but not bad.

    The neck feels great, but getting the action down to my usual 3/32” is proving a problem. The way the neck is set I have very little wiggle room at the saddle. I’m pretty sure I can get it by pushing the nut and the saddle as far as they can go. But I think this is a rookie mistake on the builder. The bridge height and neck angle are wrong.

    I’m playing the heck out of this thing (amplified) and have done some busking. I really like it but I would not recommend this builder to anyone looking for a traditional instrument.

    My “off the rack” Cordoba baritone ukulele is far superior to this and is very inexpensive. So this build is a mystery to me.

    For me it's a keeper.
    Thanks for following this thread.

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